LeBraun and I had always pictured a late autumn / early winter wedding. We’ve never been summer people and the majority of our personal events, like birthdays and anniversaries, are in the spring. We always wanted to add an event to the fall for us to celebrate. Well that and the fact that my favorite month has always been October. Additionally I naturally run hot and anything above 75 degrees is almost too much for me.

So when our families gave us a date range of end of July through mid-August (mostly due to my dad’s job and the fact that the kids involved would be on summer holidays), we were thrown for a loop.

Luckily we’d discussed and always had our heart set on a small destination wedding.

We’ve been to several large-scale weddings, including my now brother and sister-in-laws wedding September 2017, where it felt like we didn’t get to chat or at least say “hey” to the majority of people in attendance, fully enjoy the meal, or spend enough time on the dance floor. And we were just guests.

We wanted to be able to fully enjoy our wedding day, eat the meal we had been craving since the tasting, have meaningful conversations with the guests that made the journey to celebrate with us, and not feel like we missed out on time with friends who we don’t see as often as we would like.

But the biggest draw was that we L-O-V-E new adventures and wanted to share out passion with those closest to us.

Why We Choose Maui

The short and short is that the weather is consistent and it felt exotic without being out of reach for most guests.

If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, it doesn’t feel like you’re still in the U.S. The Polynesian culture, breathtaking nature, surf and sand make it feel like you’ve found a private escape.

During August the weather ranges between mid-70s and 80s, much more bearable than the 100 degrees/100 humidity nightmare that Nashville experiences when summer rolls around.

Several major airlines offer flights to Maui (OGG-Kahului Airport) from the mainland and any U.S. guests won’t need a passport. And being able to celebrate with our nearest and dearest was very important to us.

One phrase we kept using during planning was “a memorable experience” for our guests, and not only does just the word “Hawaii” make people happy, it’s a great excuse for some time off and to check the islands off their travel bucket lists. Maui has something for everyone so no one will get bored. They can relax on the beach, try surfing, snorkel with sea turtle, go hiking in rainforests, take a catamaran around the island, and much more. All of our guests stayed at least six days. We ended up joking that the plan was actually to vacation with all our friends, with a wedding thrown in. :)

Weddings, in nature, often tend to be stressful so why not take a cue from the locals, slow it down, and enjoy the events on “island time.”

Another location we were seriously considering was the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia because it holds a special place in our hearts. It’s a place we’ve spent time every summer since we started dating; however, over the past couple years they have suffered terrible forest fires during the summer months. Since we wanted an outdoor wedding and to roast s’mores for dessert (which you can’t do with a fire ban) it wasn’t working.

Don’t let that discourage you though, they are tons of beautiful vineyards, orchards, lakeside and/or mountain-side spots for weddings in BC.

You’re In Maui, Why Not Have A Beach Wedding?

“Oh, yeah, wedding in Hawaii- real original!” - Peter Bretter, Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Getting married in Hawaii is not an original idea. There were even two other brides on the plane to Maui with us, both of which were getting married at beachfront venues.

As a couple we've just never been beach people, preferring ski trips to beach trips, and winter weather to summer weather. Not that we don't love the beach, there’s almost nothing better than walking barefoot on a beach and letting the sand squish between your toes.

Though to each his own. If you are considering a beach wedding do take in account that the sound of the breeze and the waves crashing does make it quite loud. But toes in the sand still does sound lovely…:)

All photography by [Teale Photography][1]

1]: https://www.tealephotography.net

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